Brake-beam.



- PATBNTBD MAY 5, 1903.

L. A. SHEPARD.

BRAKE BEAM.

APPLIOATION FILED ssr'r. 9, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

7 following is a specification.

NITED TATES .Patentcd May 5, 1903.

ATENT Fries.

LOUIS A. SHEPARD, OFBROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CORNELIUS VANDERBILT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BRAKE- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed September 9', 1902.

To (6 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS A. SHEPARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-Beams, of which the My invention relates to an improved form of brake-beam; andit consists in the features hereinafter described and claimed.

It has for its object the production of a brake-beam which may be cheaply and easily constructed and which combines great strength with lightness.

In the drawings which accompany this speci fication, Figure l'is a plan, and Fig. 2 is a front view, of a brake-beam embodying my invention. Fig.3 is atransverse section takenjust outside the brake-shoe and looking toward the end of the beam.

The brake-beam is a truss the compression member of which is a hollow tube 1, preferably circular in cross-section. The tension member is a trough-shaped body 2, preferablyahalf-tube, as shown, and may be formed by splitting a tube longitudinally. The cur vature of the concave or inner surface of the part 2 is the same as the curvature of the outer surface of the tube 1. The ends of the tube 1 are fitted or sleeved within the ends of the half-tube 2, a snug fit being obtained by reason of the curvatures of the contacting surfaces being the same. The tension member is preferably bent at its center andextends in straight lines therefrom to its ends. The ends of the compression member are bent into parallelism with the ends of the tension member, as shown, thus forminga verystrong truss, since the tensional stresses which exist at any time in the tension member are resisted by the ends of the compression member in the direction of their length. The ends of the truss aremuch less readilybent or broken in use when of'the shape shown than ifthe ends of the compression members were straight.

The brake-shoes 3 are sleeved upon the ends of the members 1 and 2,'filling-blocks 4 being placed about that portion of the ends of the tube 1 opposite that covered by the member 2. (See Fig. 3.) The whole is then firmly united by bolts or rivets 5, passing through the parts 1, 2, 3, and 4.

BEAM.

Patent No. 727,219, dated May 5, 1903.

Serial No. 122,672. (No model.)

A central strut 6 is provided between the members 1 and 2, which may also be used as the fulcrum for the attachment of the brakelever. This strut is formed of a block 7,whicl1 is sleeved or otherwise fitted upon the tube 1,

a block 8 fitted within the concave surface of the half-tube 2, and plates 9 secured to said blocks by rivets 10. The plates 9 are perfo- 6( rated at 11 for the attachment of the brakelever.

Various minor changes may be made in the structure illustrated Without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which 6; is defined by the following claims.

I claim- 1. A trussed brake-beam comprising a tubular compression member, atrough-like tensionmember and a-strut, the ends of said 7C compression member being parallel to the ends of the tension member and being sleeved therein, substantially as described.

2A trussed brake-beam comprising a tubular compression member, a trough-like tension member and a strut, said tension member being bent at its center and extending therefrom in straight lines to the ends of the beam, the ends of the compression member being bent parallel to the tension-member 8c ends and being sleeved therein, substantially as described.

3. A trussed brake-beam comprising a tubular compression member, a trough-like tension member and a strut, the ends of said compression member being parallel to the ends of the tension member and being sleeved therein, and shoes sleeved upon and secured to the united ends of said compression and tension members, substantially as described.

4. In a trussed brake-beam, a compression member, a block 7 fitted thereon, a troughlike tension member, a block 8 fitted within its concave surface, and plates 9 uniting said blocks and forminga strut, substantially as 5 described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of September, 1902.

LOUIS A. SHEPARD.-

In presence of-- WILLIAM KENT AUCHINCLOSS, JAMES J. COSGROVE. 

